Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1088/3033-4942/adb906 |
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| Title (Primary) | Water quality responses to hydrological droughts can be predicted from long-term concentration–discharge relationships |
| Author | Dupas, R.; Lintern, A.; Musolff, A.; Winter, C.; Fovet, O.; Durand, P. |
| Source Titel | Environmental Research: Water |
| Year | 2025 |
| Department | HDG |
| Volume | 1 |
| Page From | art. 015001 |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T5 Future Landscapes |
| Supplements | https://content.cld.iop.org/journals/3033-4942/1/1/015001/revision2/erwadb906supp1.docx?Expires=1744363870&Signature=hLZl1HU38nlPUNrkLWhlpRyKRduJNFlGnMyQd7oNKwwxVcrEHTl38uf1UhEbz550CHNd1GF8lEKZOpA-gZUx2pcYBduQIC~bXtHDb-4TCxmDO9DKMRQe240jZzI5Ufwuz5Brt-tquqGYzYcKJ9ThyTTVz0VuiBSpWERfOZChxKm8AtIxvqAcl0ltrXxpCIblISBn59pFc36UpsaNwGo6UHnDcMlhoYvbB0~RizCSOrUet3OexMP5VrpS1ll5ZtS2MXM1XLp5~N8L0IsEnz~h6dZJl8lUgMk8lMrO2yuaOiAVi~OzyDcAcFI4P0ymweQHzWZdxH1Na6qPFGB1Wce3ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KL1D8TIY3N7T8 |
| Abstract | The pervasive influence of climate change on the hydrological cycle raises concerns about its consequences for water quality, particularly for nutrients and organic matter concentrations in agricultural catchments. Here, we report on the water quality response of 126 agricultural catchments in western France to hydrological droughts that they experienced during the last two decades (2000–2023). We hypothesised that the direction of concentration change for nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) during droughts could be predicted from the slopes of long-term concentration–discharge (c–Q) relationships. Our results showed a majority of positive nitrate-Q slopes, a majority of negative SRP-Q slopes and a majority of positive but weaker DOC-Q slopes. Consistent with our hypothesis, nitrate concentrations generally decreased during droughts (median of −14%), SRP increased (median of +24%), and DOC varied weakly (median of −2%). This was regardless of whether the drought occurred during the low-flow or high-flow seasons. Although the sign of the c–Q slope helps to reliably predict the direction of concentration changes during droughts, the magnitude of these changes depends on a combination of catchment and in-stream processes, which we identified using catchment geographic properties. We also observed a flushing effect during post-drought periods in the high-flow season in 19% of the catchments for nitrate and 80% of the catchments for DOC. Our analysis provides generalizable insights into the changes in water quality under droughts, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=30657 |
| Dupas, R., Lintern, A., Musolff, A., Winter, C., Fovet, O., Durand, P. (2025): Water quality responses to hydrological droughts can be predicted from long-term concentration–discharge relationships Environmental Research: Water 1 , art. 015001 10.1088/3033-4942/adb906 |
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